A Trip to Remember (Copy)

A Trip to Remember (Copy) - Page Text Content

S: BINH MINH - a trip to remember

BC: Thanks for walking through this journey with us. Binh Minh team

FC: Binh Minh A trip to remember

1: Foreword | From 17 to 21 February this year, 9 dedicated STB staff embarked on Project Binh Minh, a service learning journey into the lives of an overseas community in need, to An Lac Home of Love in Dong Nai Province, Vietnam. Within just the 4 days, we learned to “speak” not the language of the kids, but in ways that connected us, and together built a programme that brought everyone laughter and happiness. | Retrospectively, the project could only be so successful thanks to overwhelming support from the entire STB community, both HQ and our regional office in Ho Chi Minh City, for the various fund raising initiatives and pre-trip preparations. It was very heartening to realise that STB is indeed a place that cares. | On that note, we would like to welcome you to our Exhibition and see for yourself the work we did and how you helped make it come true. | Yours sincerely, Project Binh Minh Organising Committee

2: How it all began... | Tuan and Sheryl embarked on a 3D2N recce trip last October on a mission to better understand the volunteering scene in Ho Chi Minh and check out possible orphanages where we could lend a helping hand. They met up with Christine Ong, a Singaporean expat leading a social enterprise, Sozo Café in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Sozo Café hires teenagers from shelter homes and equips them with hospitality skills to be employable elsewhere. Their focus on sustainability reminded us to bear in mind the long-term impact of our work. Through research, Tuan and Sheryl also discovered a local volunteer group Mam Xanh who regularly brings supplies to and spends time with remote homes that are difficult to access. They were brought to An Lac Home of Love – an orphanage situated in the small local town of Long Thanh at the heart of Dong Nai province, a 2-hour drive east of Ho Chi Minh city. The moment we reached the home, the kids’ eyes lit up like the stars. You’d think they owned the world. It was there that our journey began. Come, and relive our journey with us as we walk you through the fruitful five-day experience with a local provincial home in Vietnam.

3: Sheryl with Head of the Home and local volunteer group | Sozo Cafe, a lovely little getaway in a busy city | On the Recce Trip

12: Hand in hand, there is so much we can do together | aRts & CRaFt Programme | "Kids really love to draw."

13: "To draw you must close your eyes and sing" Pablo Picasso. | A Message from Vietnam to Singapore with Love.

14: Swinging and jumping and hanging and running ... all day long

15: "Real abundance is found when we join hands with those we love." | Sports Programme

17: Programme: Sports | See how much fun we can have On an empty sandy patch

18: Project Ambition: Teaching them to dream... and to dream big

19: In a small outdoor classroom, Haifung engaged the children in group work to teach them about ‘Body Parts’. It touched us to see the faster kids help the slower kids during the activity. They are really one big family. Lusi led the discussion on ‘Ambitions’ . Many kids stepped forward to share their dreams and it was such an emotional moment for us. We believe in them. | Programme: Education

21: Credits: Hand model - Ghim Posters - Hai Fung Teacher - Tuan Co-ordinator - Ling Hui & Lusi | Everyone, show some teeth! | We taught the children the proper handwashing techniques, step by step. For many of us on the team, it was a refresher too! See the smooth hands on the poster? Those are none other than Ghim Chuan’s! Was he a model for some Singapore hygiene campaign you ask? Nope, the posters were his very own creations, photos, captions et al. In fact, we did up all the posters and printouts by ourselves! Someday, we may just band together and form a creative agency.

22: Theme of the day: Teamwork | Programme: Day out

23: Running around like little kids. Splashing in the water Breathing in that fresh air. Playing games we don't understand All in a day's work.

24: Team = Kids + Us | Day Out | The morning sun, the new sweet earth and the great silence. | Programme

25: Looking at the delight on their faces reminded us once again that nothing should be taken for granted.